CHAP.V.] PARHELION. 253 



S.E. ^ S., but during the last twenty-four hours 

 we had not gone much if at all towards it. At 

 noon there was a moderate breeze from the north, 

 which increased so as to predict a gale, a result 

 least of all to be desired from that point of the 

 compass, as it would have infallibly brought 

 down an immense pressure upon the leeward ice 

 packed against Southampton Island. Happily it 

 declined with the setting sun, and subsequently 

 fell quite calm. In the afternoon there was a 

 beautiful parhelion, with an outer circle and one 

 mock sun. The subtended angle of the latter 

 was 45°. It is to be observed, that for some 

 time past w r e had regularly been set backwards 

 and forwards, along shore, with the flood and ebb, 

 generally gaining upon the whole some trifling 

 advantage with the former, as proved by our 

 gradual approach to the land ahead. To-day, 

 however, owing, as was supposed, to the op- 

 posing wind, there was no retrograde motion to 

 the westward at all ; and it was reasonable, there- 

 fore, to calculate at the turn of tide on some 

 acquisition of distance. Nevertheless the hour 

 passed without the slightest alteration ; but, 

 at 10 h p. m., several sudden jerks in the cabin 

 warned me that something was going on ; and, ac- 

 cordingly, near an hour after, a general rumbling 

 was audible to seaward and astern. After some 

 alternations of commotion and pauses, and when 



